Weather reigns at Candlestick

Published 4:00 am, Saturday, May 18, 1996

Anatomy of a rain delay:

No rain was falling at 4:30 p.m., but there was a tarp on the field and batting practice was canceled. "It wasn't my decision - it was the weather's," said manager Dusty Baker.

With light rain falling at 6:30 p.m., the tarp was rolled halfway off, but eight minutes later, as rain fell harder, it was rolled back. At 6:50 p.m. things became surreal when eight contestants sat at a long table by home plate for an apple-pie eating contest, pushing their faces into pies covered with whipped cream as the rain drooled down.

At 7 p.m. the scoreboard read, "We are in an indefinite rain delay. Thanks for your patience." At 7:10, five teenage fans with B-O-N-D-S spelled out on their chests cavorted in the rain in the left-field bleachers and at 7:30 they made their way to the side of the Giants dugout, calling for Barry Bonds.

At 7:45 p.m., the crowd, never more than 2,000, was visibly thinning. At 8:10 p.m., the scoreboard flashed Casey Stengel's quote on autographs: "Give 'em here. I'll sign anything but veal cutlets. My ballpoint pen slips on cutlets." At 8:18, the board announced,

"Tonight's game will begin at approximately 9 p.m."

At 9 p.m., the game was canceled because the field and warning track were too wet.

It was the first rainout at Candlestick since April 8, 1994 against St. Louis, the 24th rainout in the history of the park, but only the fourth in the '90s. The game has been rescheduled as part of a doubleheader Sunday, starting at 1:05 p.m., the first doubleheader at Candlestick since April 9, 1994.

MANWARING PHOENIX-BOUND: X-rays on Kirt Manwaring's left hand proved negative and the catcher left Friday night for Triple-A Phoenix to test his injury before returning to the Giants Friday.

Baker said Manwaring's ability to catch pitches routinely "is the last obstacle before he comes back. He's been hitting for a while."

Baker said Manwaring would likely start off playing

"three innings, five, seven, then nine. If everything goes well he'll come back Thursday and be ready to play Philly Friday."

ROTATION STAYS: The Giants have an open day on this homestand - Thursday - but will move pitchers back a day rather than skip fifth-starter Gardner. Gardner (4-1, 3.26 ERA) "has been pitching probably better than anybody," said Baker. "We'll just back everybody up a day." &lt;